No Jobs? These Mexican Immigrants Made Their Own

Meet the women of the Apple Eco-friendly Cleaning Cooperative.

Apple is a collective of five Mexican women living in New York City who got tired of working odd jobs and wanted more control of their careers. After meeting at a Brooklyn day laborer hiring site, where they would compete for cleaning jobs with dozens of other women, the quintet decided go into business for themselves, and formed an Limited Liability Company. 

They also began making their own cleaning products at home out of natural ingredients. The result is a less toxic home for their growing roster of clients and a safer cleaning day for the women themselves, who would sometimes get headaches from working for hours amid traditional chemical cleansers.

Source _ www.good.is

What were the reasons for these women setting up their own business?

What skills did / do these women have to become entrepreneurs?

What qualities of an entrepreneur did / do they have?

What steps are the women taking to ensure their business is a success?

Entrepreneur profile

Here is Blaithin's profile of Feargal Quinn - Superquinn

Feargal Quinn was born in Dublin on the 27th of November 1936. He was educated in Newbridge College, and is a commerce graduate of University College Dublin. He also learned the grocery trade in Lipton’s in the UK.

He grew up with a business background as his father ran the Red Island holiday camp in Skerries. This influenced Quinn to start up his own business. He opened up a new shop in Dundalk in 1959, at the age of 23. In 1960, Feargal Quinn founded a new business called ‘Quinns Supermarket’ in Dundalk. The trading name was later changed to ‘Superquinn’ in the late 1970’s.

In January 2005 it was announced that Superquinn was to be sold to a company called ‘Select Retail Holdings’.

In January 2009, the company made the decision to close the Dundalk store. This was the second time that Superquinn had failed in Dundalk, but in September 2010 a High Court order forced Superquinn to re-open in its home town again.

To date, Superquinn employs over 4,500 people in 23 locations nationwide.

Feragal Quinn shows a lot of qualities and characteristics of an entrepreneur. He is a risk taker as he continued to open up shops although his businesses in Dundalk were failing, he his highly motivated as he is still in the business trade and also has his on television show on RTE called “Fergal Quinn’s Retail Therapy”. He is also shows leadership as he took on the responsibility to run so many shops successfully.

Superquinn retail site here.

Senator Feargal Quinn - Independent Senator biography page here.

Feargal Quinn's Reatil Therapy at RTE

Entrepreneur profile

Here is Lauren's profile of Lily O Brien Chocolates founder Mary Ann O Brien 

Mary Ann O Brien - Lily O Briens chocolates

Background

Mary Ann was born in Tipperary.

She has one child named Lily and another who passed away after 18months called Jack.

She is also the co-founder of the ‘Jack and Jill’ foundation with her husband Jonathan Irwin, as well as ‘Lily O’Brien’s chocolates’

How she started her business.

When Mary was over in Africa she explored the hotel and found out what she loved doing. Cooking! For the 2weeks she was over there she helped (in her bikini) the owner’s daughter cook these chocolates in the small business she ran there.

When she arrived home she decided she would try and make the chocolates and sell them at her local hairdresser to see if she would get a positive feedback, and she did.

In 1992 Mary O’Brien had started up her business in her own kitchen in Newbridge, Co. Kildare and made her living from it

Mary tried to sell her chocolates at her local Superquinn and to her surprise she got an offer of a contract to sell her chocolates at the store! Mary leaped at this offer and set up her own business and borrowed money off the bank to help her do this.

Name of business

She run’s the successful Lily O’Brien’s Chocolates.

It is called Lily O’Brien after her daughter because Lily was born when Mary started up her business.

How many people do they employ?

Lily O’Brien employs over 100people and they make over 55-60tonnes per week!

Did she get help?

No, Mary Ann O’Brien started up her own business from at home. Starting to sell them at a hairdressers, venturing on to her local Superquinn and then it became a €16million-a year company, selling all over Europe including little travel boxes being sold on airplanes!

Entrepreneur profile

Here is Siobhan's profile of Niall Mellon

Niall Mellon -The Niall Mellon Township Trust.

Background-      Niall Mellon was born in 1967. He is from Ballyroan in county Dublin. When he finished school he joined his father’s investment brokerage. When he was 24 he set up his own mortgage company. His interests in the property and financial services soon grew. He had a great interest in buildings and property development and he carried out many different building projects in the United Kingdom.

The idea-             In 2002 while he was on holiday in South Africa he was appalled by the amount of shacks that he seen driving down the motor way. He went to see some of the townships on his visit and also met with some of the community leaders there. He decided that he wanted to do something about it because he believed that no human should live in a shack.

Not knowing if it was going to be a success or not he decided that he would take the risk and set up the “Niall Mellon Township Trust” where we would go to South Africa with volunteers and build houses for the people living in shacks.

His business-     His business is located in Tralee. He set up his charity using his own funds along with help and support from close family members and friends. The charity depends on volunteers to raise money and travel with him to South Africa each year to built houses. His company employs 104 full time staff and 28 community and site staff.

 Each year Niall Mellon along with many volunteers travel to South Africa for the “Building Blitz” As well as building house for the poor they also provide employment for local builders in South Africa by getting them to help them with the “Building Blitz” It also provides business for local companies that supply building materials as they source all their goods locally in South Africa.

Charity Work-   because of his great efforts with his charity work he has received praise from many people such as Nelson Mandela. He has also been awarded doctorate of Philosophy by D.I.T ad also a Doctor of Law by U.C.C. He has been given international honours for his efforts to encourage the spirit of volunteering.

Characteristics- Niall Mellon shows many different characteristics of an enterprising person such as being a risk taker, a leader, innovative, highly motivated and a very good communicator.

Here is a link to the Niall Mellon  Township Trust for more information.

“Absolutely Fabulous Florists” - SWOT analysis

Swot Analysis - “Absolutely Fabulous Florists”
by Tara

Strengths:

1. It is the only florists in Celbridge.
2. It has a good reputation.
3. It has a wide variety of flowers and products.
4. It has a good location.

 
Weaknesses:

1. It can be considered quite expensive.
2. A lot of people can’t afford to buy flowers because of the economic downfall.

 Opportunities:

1. To expand to other locations in the country.
2. To make deals with wedding planners, hotels etc., to provide flowers for events.

 Threats:

1. A lot of major supermarkets (eg.Tesco and LIDL) sell flowers now and for a cheaper price. So many people may decide to buy flowers there instead of a florists.

Thanks Tara

SWOT analysis template

A SWOT analysis measures a business unit, a proposition or an idea.

Here is a link to Businessballs.com site where you will download a SWOT analysis template.

Click the link below and the document will download to your computer

www.businessballs.com/freematerialsinword/free_SWOT_analysis_template.doc

Businessballs.com is run by Alan Chapman, in Leicester, England

Supervalu - a SWOT analysis

Swot Analysis - Supervalu Clane
by Elaine

Strengths:

1. Friendly staff.
2. Good products - cheap own brand products.
3. Good reputation.

Value for money.

1. Supervalu has won awards for it's store which indicates good management.
2. Loyal customers.
3. Location easy to get to.

Weaknesses:

1. Shelves not always stocked fully.
2. Can be difficult to find things in the store.

Opportunities:

1. New markets opening up with new housing estates that were being in recent years.
2. Expand branches in new housing estates or smaller villages and towns.
3. New products - convenience foods for today's society.
4. Experienced staff.

Threats:

1. Competition from similar stores especially large stores such as Tesco in Celbridge which is open 24 hours.
2. Economic downturn is affecting all businesses today.
3. Cost of finance for improvements or expansion, is getting more expensive in the economic downturn being experienced in Ireland.

Supervalue http://www.supervalu.ie/ is part of the Musgrave Group http://www.musgravegroup.com/en/index.php

Thanks Elaine

Halo Café - a SWOT analysis

SWOT Analysis - Halo Cafe

Strengths:

1. They have friendly staff.
2. The food is nicely presented.
3. The cafe is kept clean.

Weaknesses:

1. The cafe is very small in size.
2. Some of the meals sold there can be considered to be expensive.
3. It is a busy cafe so you can sometimes be waiting a long time to be served.

Opportunites:

1. They could open up a bigger cafe.
2. They could deliever food to more schools for lunches.
3. They might be able to win awards for their business or food.

Threats:

1. Bigger cafés or restaurants could become more popular.
2. They are not very well known so this could deprive them of business.
3. In today's economic climate the cost of some items could stop some people from returning.

Here is a link to Halo Cafe http://www.halocafe.ie/

Thanks Blaithin

The Orchard Garden Centre - a SWOT analysis

S.W.O.T Analysis. - The Orchard Celbridge.
by Siobhán

Strengths:

1. The Orchard has an excellent reputation for its wide range of products.
2. The Orchard has a wide range of products for both households and gardens.
3. The Orchard has a large task force with friendly and kind employees that are always more than happy to help.

Weaknesses:

1. The Orchard has some expensive products and some consumers cannot afford them in this economic climate.
2. They may need to raise capital for expansion but may not be able to due to the current economic downturn.

Opportunities:

1. The Orchard has the opportunity to provide more products for the consumers.
2. The Orchard can expand their facilities to make the garden centre bigger and better for the consumers.
3. The Orchard has experienced employees that know what has to be done to ensure that the business is kept running smoothly.

Threats:

1. Another garden centre that is bigger and better could open up in Celbridge or the surrounding area and cause competition.
2. The economic downfall may mean that prices will have to be increased and consumers will not be able to afford their products and they will not shop there.
3. Then the Orchard could lose money on goods that are not selling.
4. If employees do not have good customer care skills this would cause some customers to be unhappy about how they are being served.

Here is the link to the Orchard Garden Centre http://www.theorchard.ie/

Thanks Siobhan